


A Deliberate Kill

by katikat



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Spoilers, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 11:10:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15387504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katikat/pseuds/katikat
Summary: Mac’s going to kill Murdoc. Unless Jack puts his foot down. Jack’s POV. (Unbeta'd)





	A Deliberate Kill

**Author's Note:**

> Short but too long for my short collection. Wild speculations based on the S3 spoilers once more. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t. I’m just having fun playing with the hints. And I decided to give Mac's new - so far nameless - love interest the name Marie.

It’s 4am when Jack finds Mac in the dimly lit gym at the HQ, pummeling the punching bag with quick, sharp strikes, blows meant to kill, he can’t help but notice. He winces inwardly. Slowly, he approaches his partner who gives him only a cursory glance before going back to his deadly exercise.

“Bozer called…” Jack says as he comes to a stop directly behind the bag. He catches it and holds it steady for Mac.

Mac doesn’t answer, his strikes become harder, faster, more vicious, though. 

Jack tries again. “ _Mac_ …”

Mac’s face hardens and his eyes narrow dangerously. He stops trying to reduce the punching bag to shreds and straightens up, dropping his bandaged hands to his sides. “I’m going to  _kill_ him, Jack,” he states coldly, looking straight at Jack.

Shiver runs up Jack’s spine.  _This is so wrong_.

He shakes his head. “No, you won’t,” he states firmly.

Mac’s eyes narrow further. “I  _will_. I  _will_ find Murdoc and I  _will_ kill him. Like he killed Marie,” he adds and pain flashes through his eyes.

Jack lets go of the bag and steps around it to stand in front of Mac. “ _No_ , you  _won’t_. Killing is  _my_ job. It’s what I do so that  _you_ don’t have to.”

But Mac shakes his head adamantly. “Not this time, Jack.”

“Yes, this time!” Jack raises his voice. “ _This_ time and  _every_ time.  _Always_. You” –he points at Mac– “ _don’t kill people_.”

Lifting his chin defiantly, Mac snaps, “I killed before!”

“In self-defense,” Jack reminds him. “Because you had no choice. Because it came down to you and the people under your care or the bad guys on your ass. There’s a world of difference between  _that_ and what you’re talking about now.”

“No, there  _isn’t_!”

“ _Yes_ , there  _is_!” Jack insists and he takes a deliberate step forward. “Stalking your target with the intention to kill, not capture or neutralize, but  _kill_ \- that’s something you've never done before and if it’s in any way up to me, you’re _never_ going to do it!”

“It’s not up to you!” Mac yells, getting right into Jack’s face.

“The  _hell_ it isn’t!” Jack yells right back. “Carrying out kill orders, that’s what I’ve been doing ever since I was a wet behind the ears recruit and I’m  _damn_ good at it. And you know why, hoss? Because I don’t give a  _rat’s ass_ about the people I kill. I don’t lose any sleep over them. Can you say the same about yourself? Can you honestly tell me that if you  _deliberately_ killed someone - even someone like Murdoc - it wouldn’t haunt you for the rest of your life?”

“It wouldn’t!” Mac snaps angrily.

Jack’s face softens and he whispers, “Liar.”

That seems to pull the rug from under Mac’s feet because his angry expression wavers then shatters completely, revealing the naked despair hiding underneath the surface, buried deep and festering there ever since Mac returned home from saving Jack’s life only to find his girlfriend, Marie, murdered by their pet psychopath, Murdoc, just for the hell of it.

“He  _killed_ her, Jack,” Mac croaks out hoarsely and his eyes become impossibly blue as tears slowly fill them. “He just-he  _killed_ her. Because it was fun. Just like he shot Cage. I need to get him, Jack. I-I need to  _stop_ him…”

Jack reaches out and pulls him into a bear hug, warm and comforting. “ _We’re_ going get him.  _We’re_ going to stop him. I promise you. I swear, Mac. But not like  _this_ ,” he says firmly, holding on tight. “I’m not gonna let him destroy you, too.”

Slowly, Mac returns the hug. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispers.

“Let me worry about it for once,” Jack responds just as softly. “Just this once, okay?”

And after a moment, Mac nods against his shoulder and agrees, “Okay.”


End file.
